Friendly Authentic Dining experience in Colchester

THE BEST REAL ALE PUB IN COLCHESTER

THE BEST REAL ALE PUB

Quality ales, great home cooked food and a relaxed environment where you can wind down from your busy day.

Our Awards displayed

around the pub

Our expertise lies in our ability to provide you with the best Ales, Beers and Ciders on tap

Award Winning Pub of the Year

– Every Year

Don’t take our word for it, just look at all the awards displayed around the pub

Cider Pub of the Year 2024

best real ale pub

City Runner-up 2024

best real ale pub

Pub of the Year 2022-2023

best real ale pub

Pub of the year 2022-2023

best cider pub near me

Pub of the year 2020

best real ale pub
Nethergate – Stour Valley Brewery

Looking for a Pub with Proper Beer?

“The pub is the best I’ve seen it. Great beers, great food & friendly as always .

Well done all at the Live !! “

Pub Opening hours
Open Every Day

Our Opening Times

Pop in for a lunch time drink or evening meal with friends.

Open Every Day

KitChen Opening Times

Why not book a table for an evening meal with friends.

LiveAndLetLive Kitchen Opening times
Pub Opening hours
Open Every Day

Our Opening Times

Pop in for a lunch time drink or evening meal with friends.

Kitchen Opening times
Open Every Day

Kitchen Opening Times

Pop in for a lunch time drink or evening meal with friends.

Menus

Main menu

Sunday Menu

Menus

Main menu

Sunday Menu

What our customers are saying about us

FACEBOOK AND GOOGLE REVIEWS

The Live and Let Live
4.5
Based on 104 reviews
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KarlKarl
07:11 18 Nov 24
We came here for a Sunday carvery with quite high expectations as this pub was rated in the top 10 of pubs in Colchester for a Sunday roast, but we were a pretty disappointed to be honest, the portions were pretty good but was let down a bit by the standard, it wasn’t the worst roast I’ve had in a pub but certainly wasn’t the best, the gravy was watery, the cabbage was quite hard, meat was a little dry, potatoes were ok but could do with being a bit crispy, we were also disappointed with the deserts.. a couple of us ordered the meringue mountain.. expecting there to be a fair bit of meringue as the name suggests! Well it was hard to find meringue in it! It should have been called cream mountain, about half a meringue in it, bit of ice cream and strawberry and the rest squirty cream! Others had sticky toffee pudding.. all complained about it being salty, Safe to say won’t be returning
Karen CollierKaren Collier
18:28 16 Nov 24
The food in this place….its like a man versus food challenge! I love how they change their menu every month and come up with creative creation every single time! Always delicious and massive portions! Whilst it’s a bit spit and sawdust inside, it’s such a welcoming friendly pub. Love it here.
SopblueSopblue
17:01 05 Nov 24
I love The Live & Let Live. They serve j2o and have an outside area. Ive never had real food but im sure its lovely
Ian BurgIan Burg
15:14 05 Nov 24
A marvelous place to have lunch.
Lily GallagherLily Gallagher
13:02 18 Oct 24
Best Sunday roast I've had
Matthew HillMatthew Hill
08:25 18 Oct 24
My first visit was yesterday and I have to say that the pub is really nice, the staff were excellent and the locals were great and so were all the little doggies that I met. I will definitely be going back and I might even try one of their roast dinners this Sunday.
James ShortlandJames Shortland
23:35 04 Oct 24
Lovely staff, very local but still felt welcome. Even though I live in Stanway. Is still a very traditional pub and not many about any more
Chelsea HollandChelsea Holland
16:06 02 Oct 24
Came in for a drink, garden lovely, staff friendly.
Christopher BlomeleyChristopher Blomeley
06:48 25 Sep 24
This is a friendly local pub. It was great for a face to face meeting. I'm not sure about WiFi...
Robert HeathRobert Heath
16:13 20 Sep 24
keith willsherkeith willsher
14:14 20 Sep 24
Alex WoodAlex Wood
14:02 26 Aug 24
They are always helpful. Nice friendly atmosphere. A nice pub. Soft drinks as well.
Russell KyteRussell Kyte
13:58 09 Aug 24
Rated atmosphere low as went lunch time on Friday so was quite. How ever food and service was amazing. Great pub highly recommended
Sharon CrispSharon Crisp
21:03 13 Jul 24
Haven't been in ages but pleasantly surprised. Good choice of drinks especially ciders and lunch menu good with really tasty food. Sat in enosed quirky pub garden.
Angie ClarkeAngie Clarke
21:48 20 Jun 24
Fantastic food at the quiz night tonight & there were 2 chefs in our group of 4 that were very impressed - we will definitely be back - great night 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Charlotte BlackmoreCharlotte Blackmore
09:03 03 Jun 24
A lovely, traditional pub with great drink and food choices, a pool table and darts. The staff are very friendly. There is also a cute garden with beach hut style table areas.
Charlotte BlackmoreCharlotte Blackmore
20:34 02 Jun 24
Me and my family had our first roast at the Live and Let Live today and the food was delicious. Proper home cooked and with all the roast trimmings! The pub was a bit quiet though and could have done with some background music, but everything else was perfect!
Rebecca WoolfRebecca Woolf
21:01 04 Mar 24
🙂We recently celebrated my husband's birthday with a Sunday roast at this local pub, surrounded by 12 family members. The staff outdid themselves, accommodating our large group with efficiency and kindness, ensuring that our celebration was nothing short of perfect.
The roast dinner, served with all the traditional trimmings, was perfect. It was clear that a great deal of care went into preparing our meals, which all of us greatly appreciated.
The staff were attentive without being intrusive, and their willingness to go above and beyond made us feel truly special. They managed our large and occasionally boisterous group brilliantly, making sure everyone's needs were met.
I cannot recommend this pub highly enough for anyone looking for delicious food and 5* service in a cosy, welcoming setting. Whether for a family birthday celebration or a casual meal out, this pub is sure to impress.
David M BeatonDavid M Beaton
19:51 13 Aug 23
Friendly, helpful and most of all a family pud with a great beer garden.
Kate PittockKate Pittock
20:23 23 Jun 23
3 of us had afternoon tea as a little celebration of my daughter finishing school! Oh my god, it was amazing! Food was absolutely lovely and the service was fantastic!! Good price!I would highly recommend this especially if you fancy a treat!!!Thank you for making it a wonderful afternoon x
Del TomsDel Toms
19:23 02 Jun 23
Sadly now living in Suffolk don’t visit the Live & Let Live that often. However being a Lexden fella used it for many years previously . Still today had a warm welcome from Pete & if anything the pub is the best I’ve seen it. Great beers, great food & friendly as always .

Well done all at the Live !! 👍
Pauline LanePauline Lane
17:26 30 Oct 22
Amazing Sunday lunch n service!
Great selection of gins n beers plus doggy friendly what more do you need !
Andrew CartwrightAndrew Cartwright
22:27 22 Jul 22
This pub is tucked down a little lane, which to be honest unless you know it is there you probably wouldn't notice. Have popped in a couple of times a few years back, but not recently. Had noticed that they have a garden so decided to go again and sit outside. Whilst there we then decided to get some food.Food was well priced and good size, and tasted good too. They also have kids meals, but these were £5 which isn't quite as well priced as the adult meals...! They also have plenty of drinks choices, the wife particularly liked the gins. A few craft type beers and proper cider also available.The garden has some beach hut style areas to sit but also picnic benches. Fair bit of space outside. Staff were friendly and were able to recommend drinks which is always nice when your not sure...!
Andy KayeAndy Kaye
07:08 08 Jul 22
went here for lunch had cod and chip's with mushy peas was very nice and good service and lovely beer garden would definitely recommend 👌
Naomi Ruth HorneNaomi Ruth Horne
19:20 05 Jun 22
L.T.P Duo had a fantastic time playing here as part of the jubilee celebrations! This is a beautiful, clean, well run pub with the most adorable beach hut style seating areas! 😍
Sally BuckleSally Buckle
17:49 15 May 22
Roast dinners are amazing
Lisa HunterLisa Hunter
20:55 11 Sep 21
fantastic pub!So well organised!we were a large party and looked after fantastically from booking to leaving!great staff good value pub grub and love the beach huts!would highly recommend.
Michael PenalverMichael Penalver
13:34 31 Jul 21
Our 2nd lunch here. Great food, great portions. Friendly staff and boss, nothing is too much trouble. Great value for money
Sue BrownSue Brown
13:54 20 Jun 21
Great family lunch for Father’s Day ,
Sunday roasts are so good !
Andy MillwardAndy Millward
19:17 22 May 21
Lovely local with friendly staff and customers, dog-friendly too.
Sarah-Jane HanksSarah-Jane Hanks
17:39 24 Apr 21
Great atmosphere in the beach hut this afternoon. Staff were extremely attentive and happy - Mas was fantastic! Food was so good and great value for money. Will be a regular now thats for sure 😃
Nina Abra CrouchmanNina Abra Crouchman
21:02 13 Apr 21
Great beach huts, attentive service- nice to be back😀
Danielle LakeDanielle Lake
15:36 21 Feb 21
Absolutely delicious takeaway roast from The Live and Let Live.. week after week in lockdown!
Sonia CainesSonia Caines
18:39 15 Feb 21
Absolutely perfect Sunday roast delivered yesterday. A nut roast and a port roast, the food was amazing, loads of it and great value. We will definitely be ordering again and can see why it's sold out on a regular occurrence! Really good thank you :)
Naomi GroutNaomi Grout
20:35 30 Jan 21
Lovely curry night...would def recommend.
Joanna GallantJoanna Gallant
18:35 29 Jan 21
Just ordered take away. 4 different meals. Cooked perfectly, generous portions and arrived piping hot. Best of all everything was lovely.
Will definitely order again 😊👌😋👍🏼
George WebbGeorge Webb
18:29 17 Jan 21
Great food, fab staff would definitely reccomend
Jayne Aylieff-baxterJayne Aylieff-baxter
17:14 03 Jan 21
First Sunday roast had from here today and can honestly say it was beautiful. It came hot and well prepared. I would certainly recommend this place and definitely be back!
Kerry Taylor-MooresKerry Taylor-Moores
17:10 17 Dec 20
love the food and staff r so good all of them . good evening out x
Tracie BuckTracie Buck
11:02 10 Nov 20
I’ve been here so many times over the years and can’t fault it! Food is spot on and great cosy atmosphere! Love this place ❤️
Barry DunningBarry Dunning
18:25 30 Oct 20
A proper pub that welcomes all ,serves great beers and great food.
please come and enjoy
Jade SkinnerJade Skinner
09:49 05 Oct 20
I visited the live and let live pub a couple of weeks ago for a food tasting evening with a group of friends and it was fantastic. They have a great system in place for those concerned about COVID. The food was top notch and the staff were very hospitable to anything we required. Lovely evening!
Jackie HighJackie High
13:43 30 Sep 20
the curry had 7 Tiny pieces of meat in it, naan bread stodgy, one fish and chips, the fish was grey not white.
waited a long time, and the staff were not very cheerful.!!? rhubarb crumble all crumble hardly any fruit, and the fruit was nearly black ??? WOULD NOT RECOMMEND , SORRY. could do a lot better especially with the situation these days.
Anthony ScottAnthony Scott
15:23 19 Aug 20
They are a really friendly and great team and nothing is too much trouble.
The food is always good and the beer is good with a great selection of guest ales too.
Bryn LucasBryn Lucas
16:13 02 Aug 20
A lovely Sunday afternoon. Brilliant service and completely safe. Looking forward to going back.
Margaret OsbornMargaret Osborn
08:50 02 Aug 20
Great real ales, friendly & helpful staff, and a huge garden. Already looking forward to our next visit. 🍻
Dan WebbDan Webb
23:31 31 Jul 20
The service was decent 👍🏻 my new proper local :)
Donna RobertsDonna Roberts
14:47 13 Jul 20
We ordered a take away meal today, as we had the children and went to sit at the park with it. Very enjoyable, very tasty, I ordered chips and bits and handy to be able to order from the pub and take ways to enjoy it With kids over park. Will definitely be doing this again.
David Board-VorsterDavid Board-Vorster
19:48 10 Jul 20
Lovely lunch with my daughter, great beer and food. such a welcoming and friendly place to be. Thanks to you all.
Alan WilkinsonAlan Wilkinson
16:04 04 Jul 20
First day of pubs open, very relaxed and enjoyable experience in these strange times, well organised with no dramas, all credit to Geraldine and Pete, glad to be back and good luck guys xx
Excellent food. The black pudding scotch egg was lovely, the chips with sausage cheese and bacon had proper sausages in them. definately recommend to treat yourself with
Nicola NewtonNicola Newton
17:46 12 Jun 20
Lush!!!! The fully loaded chips were amazing!! My husband and son loved the black pudding scotch egg
Rebecca BootRebecca Boot
18:18 24 May 20
We have just had a delicious take away roast. Food was hot and well cooked. Great price, well worth it!! Yorkshires were amazing!
Sue WilkinsonSue Wilkinson
20:27 23 May 20
Covid-19 Forces Take Away. Still the same quality And value. 100% recommended
David Alexander HoughDavid Alexander Hough
13:08 10 May 20
Excellent food, and service. Plenty of food, which was properly cooked and served.
Jenny MurphyJenny Murphy
14:02 03 May 20
Just finished our sunday roasts. There was plenty of it, nicely cooked and very tasty. With the beer on the side being an excellent accompaniment. Jenny and Michael Murphy
Mark GibbonsMark Gibbons
00:50 16 Feb 20
Amazing pub with a great atmosphere and lovely staff 100% recommend
Andy SmaleAndy Smale
18:49 08 Feb 20
Great beer festival with good choice of beers
David KarbyDavid Karby
13:46 08 Feb 20
had a great selection of real ales and some very tasty sausages also the young lady singer was really good had a great night
James HughesJames Hughes
13:04 28 Jan 20
Just a great little pub. Good beers, excellent festivals.
Heidi AtkinHeidi Atkin
09:53 30 Dec 19
A great friendly little pub.Food was lovely, best Sunday roast I've had in a while. Will definitely be going back again very soon.
Chris WatersChris Waters
20:22 28 Dec 19
Friendly pub great food,and real ale.
Ingrid CoeIngrid Coe
08:45 25 Dec 19
Went down for Christmas Eve drinks, amazing atmosphere, all ages everyone so friendly, have also had Sunday lunch there cannot fault it in anyway but what makes this special is the management that put there heart & soul into this pub , likewise have brilliant happy friendly staff, so lucky that it is local for me.
Hannah Louise BrewerHannah Louise Brewer
20:17 11 Dec 19
We had the Christmas buffet and the food was amazing. It was great value for money and there was a large variety of different Gins. Would definitely recommend The Live and Let Live.
Sharon ScottSharon Scott
22:18 06 Dec 19
take away steak and chips ooh and the trimmings.. scrummy with a bottle of wine of two ! perfect thank you. keep up the good work . xx
More Reviews
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TRIPADVISOR REVIEWS

star rating  Great to be back- fabulous service as always - I popped into the Live and Let Live with my cousin and her husband yesterday. They are always busy on a Sunday, but even more so as it was Mothering... read more

avatar thumb Victoria Campbell
20/03/2023

star rating  Great Pie and Beer Festival - Attended yesterday for the Pie and Beer Festival. Enjoyed a lovely steak and ale pie and a pint of cherry mild. I have reviewed this venue before, and it is... read more

avatar thumb Victoria Campbell
18/09/2023

star rating  Colchester's hidden gem. - Excellent value and great service so will certainly go again. We all enjoyed our food choices and the portion sizes where generous.

avatar thumb jatar18127
11/08/2024

star rating  Traditional Real Ale Pub - Traditional real ale pub with a wide range of drinks and serving home cooked food. Regular events held throughout the year 😁

avatar thumb Geraldine M
26/01/2023

star rating  Definitely worth a visit - Separate menus for vegetarian and meat eaters, staff friendly and beautiful garden area. Would definitely come again and recommend as the food was delicious. They also have gluten free and... read more

avatar thumb GigiB66
12/08/2024

star rating  Cracking Sunday Roast - Booked in rather last minute for a Sunday Roast, staff were very accommodating as always and allocated us a table where we could tuck our dog into the corner away... read more

avatar thumb Victoria Campbell
08/01/2024

star rating  Lovely pub - Lovely pub with fair prices. Tried out a comedy night there and the patrons were love and their food was delicious. Loved the curried chicken pies! Highly recommend.

avatar thumb Ashley_Edwards_11
29/01/2023

star rating  Quality wee place  - Fantastic pub wee pub. Really good quality food and the staff where so polite and helpful, even put the scottish cup final on for the only one in the bar.... read more

avatar thumb Mark Gibson
03/06/2023

In the Beer Garden

Beach Huts

Quality ales, great home cooked food and a relaxed environment where you can wind down from your busy day.

The Best Real Ale Pub in Colchester

And a fabulous Beer garden to enjoy with all the family

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